eight years after it was thrown into the sea.

Young Travis Taylor, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, sent off the message as part of a geography lesson in 1984.

Now it has been found by Warwick resident Mr. John Grace, horticulturalist at the Reefs Beach Club, during his regular walk along the shoreline.

The rolled-up note was inside a barnacle and seaweed-encrusted pop bottle, but had stayed remarkably intact.

"However he launched this thing he did it right,'' said Mr. Grace, of Middle Road.

"But it wasn't the lottery ticket I was hoping for.'' Mr. Grace plans to get in touch with the boy's school, as requested in the message.

ONE TOO MANY CTS One too many Drinking to his newborn daughter proved costly for a Paget man who found himself in Magistrates' Court last week charged with being drunk and incapable.

Police called out on Tuesday evening to investigate complaints of a drunken man on Rosemont Avenue in Pembroke found 28-year-old Chance Michael Strother stumbling along the road.

According to the officers, the White Sands Road resident was unable to speak coherently or walk steadily, and fell several times in their presence.

Strother told magistrate the Wor. John Judge the incident was a result of too much celebrating over the birth of his daughter.

Before fining Strother $150, Mr. Judge said: "It is absolutely disgraceful to drink yourself into such a state.'' PLAN REJECTED PLN Plan rejected A Sandys Parish man has lost his bid to change a residence into a nursing home for eight people.

The Development Applications Board refused Mr. Clermont Joell's November 14 application on the grounds that insufficient information was submitted to enable a "proper assessment of the proposal''.

The DAB further said the proposed new use of the property conflicted with the section of the Bermuda Development Plan dealing with social use in an area zoned medium density.

"The proposed development could be more appropriately located in a high density area,'' board members said, noting the site was not served directly by a public road.

FLICK KNIFE FINE CTS Flick knife fine Possessing a prohibited weapon cost a 36-year-old Pembroke man $200 in Magistrates Court last week.

Anthony Stevens and a group of men were questioned and searched by Police under the Misuse of Drugs Act on Elliot Street, Hamilton, on November 30.

Although no drugs were found, officers discovered a flick knife in Stevens' pocket.

The Friswell's Road resident admitted having the weapon, but insisted he had found it on the street and was "only going to take it home''.

"I didn't know it was a prohibited weapon,'' he told the court.

OFF THE ROAD CTS Off the road A Warwick man was last week disqualified from driving for a year and fined $350 after being found by Police officers sitting on his auxiliary cycle in an intoxicated state.

A Police patrol spotted 34-year-old Terry Alan Jones seated on his stationary cycle on Middle Road in Southampton on December 12.

The Spice Hill Road resident, who was still wearing his crash helmet when he was questioned by the officers, was arrested for being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence.

COSTLY CANNABIS CTS Costly cannabis A $250 fine was handed out in Magistrates' Court to a 21-year-old Devonshire man who admitted possession of 2.36 grams of cannabis.

Calvin D. Dill of Sousa Estate was the passenger on a motorcycle stopped by Police along The Lane in Pembroke on September 10.

After questioning, both men were searched and an envelope containing "plant material'' was found in Dill's left pants pocket. Two more of the envelopes were found lying near his feet.